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noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:57:00 +0000

August 2008 Issue
Relationship Marketing for the 21st Century

Quick! Answer this question: What do you think of when you hear the term “relationship marketing”? If the only things that came to mind were your local business networking group, local chamber of commerce, or service club, you might not be aware of new strategies in 21st century relationship marketing.

There is nothing wrong with any of these organizations, but if your relationship marketing efforts begin and end with them, you are not only operating under the old rules of relationship marketing, you are stuck in the 20th century. 21st century relationship marketing makes active use of Web 2.0.

Web 2.0 and Social Media

Only a few years ago, social media was something most people thought of as a tool for teenagers and college students. That has changed. Facebook now has more than 80 million active users and the fastest growing demographic of Facebook users is the over-25 age group.

If that didn’t make you sit up and take note, it should have. Your customers and potential customers probably have a computer and probably have high speed Internet access. And if they are not already using social media of some kind, just give it a few months. They will be.

Think you are immune? How did you access this article? There is a good chance you came to it online. The communication mogul of the 21st century is the World Wide Web and the tools that make it work have advanced so much in such a short time that the buzz is now about Web 2.0.

What is Web 2.0? No, you don’t need to throw out your year-old computer or buy new software. Web 2.0 really relates to the growing trend to make the web more interactive, collaborative, innovative, and social.

If you favor relationship marketing over the hard sell, then this is good news for you. The growth of interactive social vehicles on the Web supports anyone who prefers their marketing to be personal. Blogs, wikis, business-oriented media sites, and social networking sites allow relationship oriented business people to potentially touch exponentially more people than any community networking event could. Why? Because they not only have the power of the World Wide Web and its spider web of connections behind them, but they are structured to make viral contact more than a concept.

But if you are new to this world of social/business media networking, how can you get started? Here are three options to get you into the Web 2.0 world fast.

Blogging

If you have a product, service, or interest about which you are passionate, there may be no easier way to connect with potential customers, colleagues, and others who need what you have or know than through blogging.

If the idea of creating a blog makes your palms sweat, fear not. Not only are blogs easier than ever to set up (even a complete amateur can create one in a few minutes these days), but you may not need to create your own—at least not immediately.

Comment on Existing Blogs

Do an Internet search of key words relating to your interest. Let’s say you are an Audiologist. Do a search using words like “blogs about hearing loss” and go exploring. Read what is being posted. Submit comments. If this feels a bit foreign to you, think of it exactly as you would if you were at a face-to-face networking event chatting with folks. It is really an online way of doing just that. The difference is that you will potentially be touching many more people, including potential customers. Be a frequent visitor to sites that are related to your professional expertise and you may find yourself becoming the go-to person for those in need of that expertise.

Create Your Own Blog

Consider starting your own blog, too. It has never been easier to create a blog. Both Wordpress (www.wordpress.com) and Blogger (www.blogger.com) offer free blogging that is so easy to set up, you can do it in less time than you can eat lunch. By creating your own blog, you have the opportunity to introduce the subjects you want to address the concerns of your clients and potential clients. If you are an Audiologist, that might include information on advances in the area of implanted auditory prostheses, tools for addressing hearing loss amongst baby boomers, hearing screening protocols for newborns and school-aged children . . . or virtually any other area of the field.

Consider treating your blog as an interactive newsletter. That is, write a blog post and email your list (clients, colleagues, friends, and others) that a new item has been posted. Tell them the subject of the post, give them a hyperlink to it, encourage them to leave a comment, and suggest that they let others know about your blog. Keep the discussion going when you get comments by responding to them.

What else can you do with your blog? Use it as a way to collect customer feedback. Do an informal survey. Add a link to an RSS feed service. Include an event calendar. The possibilities are endless. Keep your focus on fostering and nurturing relationships that will further your business in an organic way and always, always make sure your blog and website are linked.

Facebook and Its Relatives

Facebook is just one of the many social networking sites on the Internet. Other well known ones include Ning, MySpace, and LinkedIn. Some sites, like Facebook and MySpace, have a broad focus. Others, like the business-focused LinkedIn, are specific in focus. What they all have to offer is the opportunity to touch more people than you could ever touch on your own, no matter how many networking groups you belong to.

Some sites, like Facebook, provide the opportunity to add a customized page you can use to promote a business. Facebook, Ning, LinkedIn, and other sites also allow the creation of groups (such as groups focused on the field of audiology). By joining these groups, you connect with a virtual network of colleagues. You also become more visible to potential clients who need your services.

And You Don’t Have to Drive to an Event

Not only does Web 2.0 impact the possibilities for relationship marketing in the 21st century, but it allows you do it from your office or home instead of attending meetings and events. Time is precious, fuel is expensive, and the options for networking are many. By spending just a bit of that precious time and only enough juice to power your Internet connection, you can market your business, deepen your relationships with clients and colleagues, and reach potential customers who might never find you otherwise.

Of course, like all relationship marketing, it takes good will, time, and a great product or service to win customers. But your customers are out there—and they are probably online right now.

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Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services (303-680-2330), a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of graphic design and relationship marketing. Would you like to hear about a phenomenal referral and follow up system that can grow your business by 200% in 6 months? Click here: FreeCard to learn how to receive a free custom card design and greeting card gift account.

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Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

You may contact me by email or phone:
karen@macgraphics.net
or call me toll-free at 888-796-7300
In Denver: 303-680-2330

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:14:00 +0000

July 2008 Issue

My good friend and colleague, Patrice Rhoades-Baum has graciously provided an article for this month's issue. Last month I showed you how relationship marketing can help your business during bad economic times. Patrice has expanded upon that topic. She provides 5 strategies for staying in touch with your prospects and clients.

Be memorable! 5 marketing strategies to stay “top of mind” with prospects and clients

By Patrice Rhoades-Baum Copyright © 2008

Many years ago in a freelance writing business, I discovered that my clients enjoyed working with me and raved about my copywriting. But shortly after working together, they forgot about me!

Here’s when that startling fact hit home: I had worked closely with Marge to write her organization’s annual report. A few months later, we bumped into each other. “Oh!” she said. “We had a writing project that would’ve been perfect for you. But we forgot about you and hired someone else.”

Yikes! Those words stung. I was disappointed but learned a great lesson: I had failed to stay in touch with Marge – and with my other clients and prospects.

Strategy #1: Make time to regularly stay in touch with prospects and clients.

Our clients and prospects are busy. They may not remember to seek us out when they need our products and services. A basic marketing principal is to stay in touch with the folks on your list to keep your business healthy. When they need your product or service, your name will be “top of mind” and your contact information will be at their fingertips.

Also, direct marketers know this fact: “Your best list is your house list.” Invest time to nurture these relationships. Your reward: Repeat business and referrals.

Strategy #2. Provide useful and beneficial information.

To stay in touch with clients and prospects, many businesses send a monthly email newsletter (aka, an ezine). Whatever communication format you decide to use, you must ensure the content meets the needs of your clients and prospects. If the information is not beneficial, is too promotional, or arrives so frequently they feel harassed or overwhelmed, they’ll unsubscribe from your list in a heartbeat.

Strategy #3. Clarify your objectives to ensure your information meets the mark.

Let’s say you’re a team-building consultant. To stay in touch with the managers and supervisors on your list, you decide to invite them to free monthly teleclasses. Your top 3 objectives could be:

• To help my clients and prospects create effective teams, each month’s teleclass will present a fun activity they can easily implement.
• Because my brand is based on “building teams by connecting people,” each teambuilding activity will encourage teams to build trust, have fun together, and deepen personal connections.
• To meet my marketing needs, I’ll briefly promote my upcoming workshops and encourage participants to call me to schedule a consultation.

Strategy #4. Stay in touch by mixing and matching formats and frequencies. In other words, how you contact folks and how often you contact them.

Let’s say you’re a speaker and expert on the topic of leadership. To stay in touch with your prospects and clients, you could:
• Mail a notecard with a leadership quote every quarter, send a brief monthly ezine summarizing new leadership research, and offer leadership strategies on your blog.
• Or deliver an audio email tip of the day and send a monthly case study by mail.
• Or offer a free monthly teleclass, plus email a brief tip of the week.
• Or send a monthly ezine and a quarterly notecard. In mid-summer (versus the holidays) mail a team-building activity kit to clients and key prospects.

Think about the information your clients need and how they might like to receive that information. Be sure to consider how much time they typically have available. For example, if your target audience is college students, they might be thrilled to receive your weekly ezine, read your daily blog postings, and attend every teleclass you offer. But if your audience is CEOs and executives, you need to get past the gatekeepers and provide information in a format they will read or listen to.

Strategy #5. Be creative.

Your goal is to be remembered! When strategizing how to stay in touch with your prospects and clients, you can find creative ways to communicate with them, both online and offline.

Here’s a fun way to get started: Brainstorm and list multiple ways you could stay in touch with clients including outlandish, way-out ideas. Now review your list. Do a few unique ideas pop out? Ideas that will help you stand out from the crowd, have reasonable return on investment, and meet your audience’s needs?

Remember, staying in touch with your clients and prospects helps to build these important relationships, keeps your business top of mind, and ensures they won’t forget about you!

About Patrice Rhoades-Baum
If you own a business, your website is your most powerful marketing and sales tool. Marketing consultant and copywriter Patrice Rhoades-Baum teams with entrepreneurs and small-business owners to make their websites DELIVER: clients, income, credibility, results, and success. A Colorado resident and avid outdoorswoman, Patrice is renowned for her down-to-earth website strategies. Visit www.WebsitesDeliver.com for a free audio workshop: “10 Strategies to Make Your Website Deliver!”

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Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services (303-680-2330), a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of graphic design and relationship marketing. Click here FreeCard to learn how to receive a custom greeting card design and a gift account with a greeting card company.

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Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

You may contact me by email or phone:
karen@macgraphics.net
or call me toll-free at 888-796-7300
In Denver: 303-680-2330

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:51:00 +0000

June 2008 Issue
How Relationship Marketing can help your business during bad economic times

Can a bad economy put a dent in your sales? Sara, a colleague of mine, thought so as she watched her sales decline during the last six months. Like most of us, Sara has heard the news reports suggesting that we are in a recession. She wondered if the reason her sales are down is the bad economy. I asked if she had recently cut back on her advertising and marketing.

“Yes, I am pulling in the purse strings and limiting my expenses,” Sara replied.

I asked if she was meeting new people and developing relationships.

“No,” she admitted.

This could be part of the problem. History has shown us that businesses often reduce—or completely stop—the dollars spent on marketing and advertising during economic slowdowns.

The economy may have something to do with fewer people spending money, but there is nothing we can do about the plight of the economy. What we can do is practice relationship marketing with people in our sphere of influence to increase our own business sales.

Joe Girard was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Greatest Retail Salesman” for twelve consecutive years. Joe was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Joe was abused by his father as a child, lost jobs as an adult, and then went bankrupt. He finally landed a job at a Chevrolet dealership. Joe did very well, personally selling more cars than most dealerships! In fact, people stood in line to buy a car from Joe. What was his secret?

Joe practiced relationship marketing. Here’s how he did it. He sent 13 handwritten cards to each of his clients and prospects every year: one card a month and one on Christmas. These cards were cards of appreciation, tips, and giveaways—never about special sales, discounts, or promotions. During his 15 years, Joe sent 13,000 handwritten cards! Every one of his recipients began to anticipate a card from Joe every month and he was the first person on their mind when they were ready to buy a car.

What can we learn from this story and how can we expand upon it? Here are a few strategic objectives we can put in place now, so our businesses can better withstand the impact of economic downswings.

Develop strong relationships.
People do business with people they know, like and trust. It’s our job to make this connection happen. To do that, we must go beyond the superficial and become genuinely interested in our customers and prospects. For instance, we can meet clients at a coffee shop and get to know them personally, without the usual business discussions. I often do that. I make mental notes on what is going on in their lives, so I can refer to it the next time we connect. Then I nurture my relationships by consistently staying in touch.

Consistency is the key.
We can stay connected with our contacts by sending heartfelt cards like Joe did, or by phone calls, emails or newsletters. We lose 10% of our influence every month we do not have contact with our clients. And just a 5% increase in customer loyalty could add 20-80% to your bottom line. A disappointing statistic shows that 91% of all real estate agents are forgotten by clients within one or two years after they close or represent a buyer on a home because they did not stay in touch with them.

Form a strategic objective to stay in touch.
Here are a few ideas. Try one on for size. Set up campaign postcards to go out once a month. Find or develop a system for remembering birthdays. For those in real estate, record closing dates and send anniversary cards. Veterinarians can record the birthdays of client’s pets and send birthday cards.

I personally use an on-line service that has a phenomenal system for managing my contacts, as well as printing and mailing postcards and greeting cards. I customize and personalize the cards with my own handwriting font, signature and photos. I have found that a simple and sincere card can make a huge impression on someone, especially if they are having a bad day. Sometimes I include a gift card or small gift of teas or sweets with a thank you card.

Understand and use the Law of Attraction.
When we express appreciation, recognition or encouragement, we are focused on giving and abundance, not scarcity. Every human being wants to feel acknowledged, loved and appreciated. When we send love and thanks out into the world, we get it back tenfold. What we focus on expands, so if we are focused on our lack of money, we will continue to have a lack of money. This is the Law of Attraction. We can inspire ourselves by feeling and visualizing what we now want in our lives. It helps to begin the day by meditating, listening to beautiful music, taking a walk, or calling someone with whom we have had good business results. The popular book and independent grassroots movie, The Secret, shows how to apply this law to achieve anything we want in our personal and business lives.

Kody Bateman, CEO of SendOutCards said, “Appreciation wins over self promotion every time.” That sums it up beautifully.

Use the Rule of 250 to build a referral network.
As small business owners and entrepreneurs, we each know at least 250 people. Some of us know many more than that. Each one of those 250 knows another 250, and so on. See where this is going? When we make a commitment to stay in touch with people we know—and remember they each have hundreds of contacts—we have the potential to reach thousands. Additionally, we can build our networks by joining local and online business networking groups. I belong to BNI (Business Networking International) and www.LinkedIn.com. Referred customers are usually already sold on us through the testimonial of the person who referred us. Did you know that in occupations such as real estate, as much as 90% of the business comes from relationships or referrals?

When we build strong networks and nurture meaningful relationships with the people we serve, we will garner unlimited referrals and be less affected by economic down cycles. Start making relationship marketing part of your business today and watch your business grow.

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Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services (303-680-2330), a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of graphic design and relationship marketing. Click here FreeCard to learn how to receive a custom card design and a gift account with a greeting card company.

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Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

You may contact me by email or phone:
karen@macgraphics.net
or call me toll-free at 888-796-7300
In Denver: 303-680-2330

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:17:00 +0000

May 2008 Issue
2 Visual Branding Keys To Make Your Business Memorable — Part 2

Have you ever asked yourself why a competitor’s business gets more attention than yours? The answer just may have to do with the elements that go into how memorable the business is. And that has to do with branding.

Do you remember what I wrote last month about branding? Think of branding as predefining what a company is all about in the minds of its clients. Good branding differentiates your products and services in a positive way that really sticks in the minds of potential customers.

Last month I explained how your logo is the first visual branding key. Now I’ll cover the second key . . .

. . . a distinctive tag line.

A tag line is a 3 to 7 word phrase that accompanies your logo. It expresses your company’s most important benefits and/or what you want your customers to remember about working with you. Think of it as the words you want to linger in your target customer’s mind about you and what you have to offer.

Great tag lines appear to be effortlessly created because they just seem to flow. In fact, creating and refining one takes time, just like designing a great logo. The benefits of taking the time to craft a great tag line lie with the tag line’s stickiness. Great tag lines stick in your memory.

The Hallmark tag line, “When you care enough to send the very best,” appeals to the human desire to be viewed as having good taste and an appreciation for luxury. If greeting cards are a commodity, then Hallmark has found a way to differentiate itself as the choice for quality.

The Hallmark company was founded by J. C. Hall, so the name Hallmark was a natural. It was also brilliant from a marketing standpoint. Hallmarks have been used for centuries as a stamp to denote quality, purity, and genuineness. Could there be a better way to attach the image of quality to a product? The tag line capitalizes on that image well with words that stick in the mind and exemplify good taste.

Creating a great logo and distinctive tag line are critical in creating a brand that provides the perfect image for your company and great ones just might be memorable enough to give your company the beach front property in the minds of your customers that leaves them thinking only of you.
to life!
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Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:22:00 +0000

Two more 1st Place EVVYs!

Friday, March 28, 2008 was the 14th Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) “EVVY” book awards banquet. I accepted two 1st Place EVVY awards on behalf of one of my clients, Barbara Flood of Phoenix Press. Barbara, her editor Barbara Munson, and I worked together as a team to create Illumination: Contemplations for an Awakened Life. This book won 1st place in the Spirituality/Religion category and 1st place in the Inspirational/Self-help category.

We also created the companion Journal of Illumination. Friesens Corporation manufactured both books. We are all proud to have created such an exceptional book. You may purchase it at www.Amazon.com

April 2008 Issue
2 Visual Branding Keys To Make Your Business Memorable — Part 1

Have you ever asked yourself why a competitor’s business gets more attention than yours? The answer just may have to do with the elements that go into how memorable the business is. And that has to do with branding.

But exactly what is branding, anyway? Think of branding as predefining what a company is all about in the minds of its clients. Good branding differentiates your products and services in a positive way that really sticks in the minds of potential customers.

Let’s say you are getting ready to run errands on a busy Saturday morning, thinking about the groceries that need to be bought, the dry cleaning that needs to be picked up, and the packages that must get to the post office before noon. The trip to the post office reminds you that your favorite aunt’s birthday is next Wednesday. You need to add buying and mailing a birthday card to your list of things to do. Without a moment’s hesitation, you know exactly where you will buy the card: the local Hallmark store. Why did you think Hallmark? The answer to that question has everything to do with Hallmark’s branding and two key elements of that branding are:

1. An attractive, easy to read, and memorable logo;

2. and a great tag line.

Assuming your own product is fabulous, it all comes down to image. Graphic design can play a huge part in that image. But what are some key things to consider?

A great logo is the first key.

You have given a great deal of attention to your company name and believe it speaks to who you are and what you do. Great! Now you need to wrap a graphic image around that name to carve out a prime piece of real estate in your target customer’s mind. That is exactly what a great logo can do.

Keep in mind that a powerful logo:
• has a strong, balanced image with no little extras that clutter its look;
• is distinctive and bold in design, making it easy to see at a glance;
• has graphic imagery that looks appropriate for your business;
• works well with your company name;
• is done in an easy to read font;
• communicates your business clearly; and
• looks good in black and white, as well as in color.

Hallmark’s memorable crown logo is one of the reasons that Hallmark comes to mind so quickly when you need to buy a greeting card. It is simple, bold, looks good in either color or black and white, and bespeaks the quality required for something to be stamped with a hallmark, so it works well with the company name. While the image might not have communicated the nature of the business when it was first created, it certainly does now!

Next month I’ll share the 2nd key — a great tag line. Be sure to “tune in.”

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Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:04:00 +0000

March 2008 Issue
Read This Before You Hire A Graphic Designer

When you own your own business, there’s never a dull moment. That’s why I wrote Turn Eye Appeal Into Buy Appeal. It’s the do-it-yourself graphic design handbook that makes marketing your business as easy as 1-2-3. There are some projects, though, where it pays to hire a graphic designer. When it’s time to hire a graphic designer, these 5 essential tips can save you a lot of time and money:

1) Figure out if you can do it yourself
If you are not a professional graphic designer, you could spend days — even weeks — to make a brochure or flyer that a professional designer could do in a matter of hours. For major projects that will be a big part of your marketing campaign, you’ll want to take advantage of the experience a graphic designer can offer. Once you find the right designer, you will have access to a consistent style of graphics for all your marketing pieces.

2) Check out their samples
Do you like what you see? If their portfolio includes the design elements that you are looking for, then you’ll know if their style is going to mesh with your style. And of course, you’ll want to see how their style will work for your type of product or service.

3) Get references
Your best place to start would be by asking friends and colleagues if they can recommend someone. Also, many graphic designers will include testimonials
either on their website or correspondence. Don’t be shy to call . . . it’s why they’re there! You can also check with local printers. They usually know
firsthand what the designers working style is. The website for the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA.com) has a free listing of designers all over the country.

4) Interview your prospective designer
Talk about the size and scope of the project, what your expectations are, and any deadlines you may have. You can get a sense of their work ethic, and see if you will work well together. This gives the designer the chance to ask you questions, too. You’ll know upfront if they have the time and skill to take on your project.

5) Get it in writing
Once you’ve found the right designer, make sure all the details are outlined in an estimate or proposal. Get it in writing and make sure you know what it does (and doesn’t) include. Don’t forget to read any terms and conditions (such as a deposit) and make sure you’re comfortable with them before you start the project.

Now you can go out and hire the graphic designer that’s going to make your marketing campaign come to life!
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Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:17:00 +0000

February 2008 Issue
Author, Edit Thyself

My guest writer today is writer and editor, Barbara McNichol. Her website is www.barbaramcnichol.com

As writers, we can get caught up in an idea or feel particularly attached to a word or phrase. Our writing can suffer as a result. When editing your own manuscript, dare to be brutally honest with yourself. To help you, here’s a list of tips and techniques for steering clear of common pitfalls and strengthening your manuscript along the way.

While you’re editing, ask these questions:
• Is every word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, section, and chapter necessary?
• Is the message clearly understood?
• Can your ideas be expressed more simply?

Miracles do happen, but you likely won’t say yes to these questions after your firstround of writing. So incorporate the following five “rules of thumb” in your revisions. Doing so will eliminate 90% of the weak writing editors see every day.

Make subjects and verbs agree.
Incorrect: A group of writers were in town. (“group” is singular while “were”is plural)
Correct: A group of writers was in town. (“group” is the subject here, not “writers”)

Use parallel construction.
Weak: We’ve learned to read, write, and we’re making sure information is shared.
Stronger: We’ve learned to read, write, and share information.

Make the subject obvious.
Incorrect: Driving down the highway, the new stadium came into view.
(Who was driving down the highway…the stadium?)
Correct: We saw the new stadium as we drove down the highway.

Use the active voice.
Passive: It was decided that everyone would take the class.
Active: The principal decided every student would take the class.

Tell the whole story.
Stories, like plays, are told in three acts:
Act One—set up the situation.
Act Two—develop it.
Act Three—resolve it. Similarly, make the end of your story echo its beginning so it will feel complete to the reader.

While You’re At It, Check for These, Too
• Don’t use “also” and “and” in the same sentence.
• Don’t mix “we” and “you” in same paragraph.
• In text, spell out the name of a state or province fully.
• Write for the ear; always read what you’ve written out loud.
• Eliminate the words “you must” and “you should” as often as possible.
• In text, use “and so on” instead of “etc.” (It’s okay to use “etc.” in a list).
• Use contractions like “can’t” and “don’t” instead of “cannot” and “do not.”
• Writing “ask yourself” and “think to myself” is redundant; use only the verb.
• Here are three four-letter words you just don’t need: very, some, much.
• Differentiate between the words “believe” and “feel”; they have different meanings.
• Take the author “I” out of the writing as much as possible – let the ideas stand for themselves.
• Use the words “I think” and “I believe” sparingly – it’s assumed what’s written is what the author thinks.
• Vary sentence length; I recommend no more than 21 words. Any longer and the meaning is hard to follow.
• Use the verb form of a word rather the noun form – e.g., “Do you struggle?” is better than “Do you have struggles?”
• Present tense is more powerful than future tense. “This book shows you how” is stronger than “this book will show you how.”
• Write with economy of style. It takes more time and effort to write concisely, but the payoff is an easily understood narrative.
• Be precise in the words you select; don’t use “farther” when you mean “further.”

Have a handy reference guide of Word Trippers (available at www.barbaramcnichol.com when you sign up for The Door Opener) so you’ll use the right word every time.

Remember, no wording is sacred. Self edit with a keen eye and a sharp pencil (or keyboard) to tighten and sharpen your message.

Barbara McNichol, Barbara McNichol Editorial, writes and edits articles, book proposals, and manuscripts for authors and entrepreneurs. For more writing tips, sign up for The Door Opener at www.barbaramcnichol.com

Barbara McNichol Editorial
520-615-7910
887-696-4899 (toll free)
Editor@BarbaraMcNichol.com
www.barbaramcnichol.com

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Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net
P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:26:00 +0000

January 2008 Issue
5-Step Workflow for Designing and Producing Your Printed Piece

You’re ready to begin—or think you are. You can make the design process go smoothly by following these five steps. Whether you do it all yourself or hire professional help, your project will go through these five stages.

Step 1 — Organize, Plan, Budget
First, set the budget and deadline for your project. Your budget includes all or some of the following: writing, designing, editing, proofreading, illustrations, photography or stock imagery, choosing the right paper, printing, folding, binding, labeling, and distributing.

Everything that goes into making the printed piece comes under the term “production.” To determine various production deadlines, start with the date you want customers to receive your piece and work backward. Leave enough time for the elements noted above. Set deadlines for completing each of these functions.

Step 2 — Concept, Design, Text and Images
Clearly identify your target audience and determine what you want to achieve with your printed piece (e.g., increase your marketing exposure, establish your corporate identity, launch an advertising campaign, etc.).

Outline a “design brief” that clarifies your concepts, goals, and budget for the project. This will help you (or your designer) tailor the design, typography, graphics, and color to your targeted audience. Thinking through these elements of the concept early will also help you stay within your budget. Do black and white “thumbnail” sketches by hand (which are small—about 2” x 2” drawings) of your ideas on paper.

Prepare your text in a word processing program or hire a writer to compose text and headlines to fit the space you need. It’s best to collaborate closely with the writer at this “brainstorming” stage to develop a theme and determine the right amount of text and graphics needed. If you write the copy yourself, I highly recommend
hiring an editor to perfect the language and ensure it’s easy to understand.

Use professional drawing programs such as Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand to do your graphics. Then, use photo-editing software such as Adobe Elements or Adobe Photoshop to touch up and crop your scans and photos. Determine what file formats and resolution your graphics and scans should be to produce this project. Don’t hesitate to consult with a designer or printer to get this right!

Step 3 — Page Layout
Once you select a general direction for your project, use a professional page layout program such as Adobe InDesign or Quark Xpress to design your color “comps.” This means compiling the text and graphics into one document.

I recommend you use “grids” to help with the positioning and alignment of text and graphics. These are nonprinting guidelines that make it easy to lay out your document in an organized fashion. Then print your comps as laser prints or low-resolution color PDFs. If you have a multiple page project such as a newsletter, you should design style sheets for reoccurring type treatments. (Setting up style sheets lets you automatically format your text, subheads, headlines, etc.) Using style sheets saves a lot of time throughout the production process. You can have a professional designer set them up for you.

Step 4 — Editing and Proofing
Proofread, proofread, proofread! Hire an editor and/or proofreader for assurance that written mistakes on the piece get noticed and fixed. Be sure to dial all the phone and fax numbers printed on your layout and go to all the websites to confirm that the stated website locations are correct. At the same time, make sure your design aligns well with the words, that the correct captions appear under the illustrations and photographs, and so on.

At this stage, it is best to output high-resolution digital color proofs so you can see a close color reproduction of your piece. Alternatively, you could proofread the pages from a set of black and white or color laser prints. Be sure to review the entire layout before you prepare the files for the printer.

Step 5 — Pre-Press, Approvals, and Printing
Perform a pre-flight checklist (this is a list of specifications you must follow so that your document will print properly), or convert your file to the PDF format to ensure that all graphics and fonts are included in the files sent to the printer. Beware: Skipping this step can lead to delays at the printing stage.

Some printers require a completed “file prep form” to ensure files are submitted properly. For traditionally printed color pieces, the printer may prepare a “matchprint” color proof. Alternatively, your printer may give you digital color proof or black and white proof prints. It’s important to carefully review these proofs for accuracy in matching the colors before printing.

For traditionally printed one or two color jobs, you’ll review blueline proofs, which are contact prints of the film negatives. Made of light-sensitive, off-white material, bluelines show your layout printed in light-blue and medium-blue colors. From these bluelines, you can read the type and distinguish the color breaks (division of colors). Pay careful attention to these bluelines. This is your last opportunity to review your piece before it gets printed. Remember, any changes made at this point are very costly. Please note, most printers are discontinuing matchprints and bluelines, and are now exclusively using digital proofs or “soft” proofs (a pdf file sent to your computer).

Once you sign off on these proofs, you may want to do a press check, which takes place at your printer’s facility while your project runs on the press. At this stage, you verify that the colors and other details are correct before the entire quantity is printed. During the press check process, you get a preview of your finished piece and come away with a sample hot off the press!

Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

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Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 03:13:00 +0000

December 2007 Issue
7 Crucial Reasons Why You Need to Market Yourself as an Expert Starting TODAY

Article by Nancy Marmolejo www.VivaVisibility.com

My guest writer today is Nancy Marmolejo, “The Visibility Expert.” You may remember she interviewed me on November 14th for a teleseminar on one-sheets.

With the phenomenal rise of media outlets such as cable TV, online networks, blogs, podcasts, and more, never before has the demand for quality information been higher. From magazine publishers to bloggers, expert opinion is needed to provide valuable content for listeners, readers, and web surfers.

As a business owner, you can easily become a recognized expert by taking what you already know and using it as a marketing tool. With the right combination of expertise and visibility, you create credibility. And with credibility, doors open.

Here are 7 crucial reasons why you need to market your expertise starting TODAY.

Reason #1: Experts get thousands of dollars of free PR.

Do the math: A ¼ page ad can run hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars in a magazine. Studies show that consumers need several impressions of an ad before they take action, so figure on buying at least 3-5 ads. Factor in the cost of a graphic designer, maybe a PR firm, and you are making a major investment.

On the other hand, a 1-2 paragraph quote in the same paper will cost you nothing and takes up the same amount of room. Not only does it validate you as an expert, but also mentions your business and more info on you. Because it is not paid advertising, the consumer sees it as more credible and legitimate. You earned that recognition through your expertise. The snowball effect begins as new customers and other media outlets learn more about you. An expert is born.

Reason #2: Nothing says CREDIBILITY better than the words “Recognized Expert”

Once the word is out that you’re a recognized expert, people will treat you differently and new doors will open. Whether you choose to be an expert for a small local market or an international audience, you now possess a higher level of credibility. Inside you may feel the same, but on the outside others perceive you in a higher esteem. Remember that reporter who could never remember your name? Now that you’re an expert, she wants to sit next to you at every networking event and learn more about your business. You’ll find people waiting in line to get to you. Human nature is a funny thing; now you can use it to impress your peers and position yourself as a leader in your field.

Reason #3: As an expert, you have a unique perspective and the world wants to hear it!

You may think there’s nothing new to say about your industry. Perhaps you’re convinced what you have to say isn’t good enough or original. Don’t limit your beliefs with what already exists. You do have something unique to say because no one has said it in your voice, with your style, and with your personality. Imagine if no artist ever painted the human form again because Rembrandt did it so well. By withholding your expertise, you are denying your ideal market the chance to learn from a new perspective.

Reason #4: Information is King!

And you hold the keys to the kingdom. This is the Information Age and your information is not only valued, but is in high demand. From paid speaking engagements to high priced information products, you can reap the benefits from this trend.

Reason #5: Experts save people valuable time.

A downside of the information age is that most people are suffering from information overload. We simply can’t keep up with all that is generated each day. By going public with your expertise, you serve as an information filter. You are taking years of experience and information and condensing it into comprehensible pieces. Rather than someone spending hours exploring websites or buying magazines, one simple article or speech by you may be all they need to grasp a challenging topic. Remember: what comes easily to you doesn’t come easily to others. Use that to your advantage.

Reason #6: Experts get paid more. Lots more . . .

We all know the law of supply and demand: the more in-demand you are, the less available you are. When your visibility increases, more people are going to want your products or services. Imagine you’re a consultant who charges $150 an hour. You are quoted in a major magazine and flooded with business proposals—more than you can handle. With such an influx, you can now double your hourly rate and people will gladly pay it! Even if you cut down on your work hours, you can still come out ahead. You are now in the position to create the lifestyle you’ve always wanted with your newfound fame.

Reason #7: People are already asking you for advice . . . so why aren’t you leveraging that?

You are brilliant and may not realize to what extent. Think of how many people call or email you with “quick questions”. A quick questions for you is easy . . . but imagine how much time the person would have to spend searching if you weren’t around? You can start the steps today to use your expertise to market your business in a whole new, exciting, creative way.

Experts come in all shapes and sizes, preferring different forms of free publicity. Maybe some coverage in the local paper or a trade journal is good enough for you, or perhaps you want to be on national TV. Whatever your goals, assess which avenues are best for you and chart the course to make it happen.

With the right combination of expertise, visibility, and credibility, your business can soar to new heights and you may discover a love for the limelight!

About the author:
Award winning businesswoman Nancy Marmolejo turns ordinary business owners into extraordinary entrepreneurs by adding the words “recognized expert” to their titles. With a proven marketing system to boost visibility and well honed coaching skills to get you there, Nancy wants you to stand out, get noticed, and get more business by positioning yourself as a recognized expert. Nancy has appeared numerous times on TV, in print, and online as an expert and receives thousands of dollars of free PR simply by sharing her knowledge with others.

Learn how simple it is to market yourself as an expert by visiting Nancy’s website www.VivaVisibility.com for a free audio course, 7 Quick and Simple Tips to Stand Out and Sizzle as a Sought After, Recognized Expert

Copyright Nancy Marmolejo 2007 All Rights Reserved

Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

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Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:05:00 +0000

November 2007 Issue
Design a Book Cover that Flies Off the Shelf!

Last month I revealed layout secrets from typesetters of best selling books. A professional book interior layout is just one ingredient in a recipe for designing a book that grabs attention and sells. Another ingredient is an eye-catching cover. Here are some things to consider before designing your next cover.

A book cover is like your bait. You have four ways to get consumers to bite, which are the front cover, back cover, spine, and possibly inside flaps. E-books are changing the face of book sales a bit, which makes it even more important to have a powerful book cover. If it looks good in the thumbnail on a web page, it will look great enlarged.

Front Cover
On the front cover you have your title, subtitle, and your name. Pretty basic, right? OK, so what if you add an endorsement or a short testimonial from a VIP? Now your cover is working for you. The whole design should give people, at a glance, a sign of what’s inside.

All of your graphics should be bold and colorful, but uncluttered. Simple is better. You also want to make sure the colors you choose are going to convert well to black and white. That way you know your cover will still look good in black and white ads, catalogs, and flyers. Here are a few recent covers I've designed:

Spine
This one’s for the library, folks. Put your name, title and publishing company logo. Again, bold, contrasting colors will show up well. Use a clean font that is uncluttered and legible.

Back Cover
Help the bookstore out by putting a category name in the upper left corner of your book so they know where to shelve it. Now you do a little sales. You need a great headline, addressing who should buy the book. Then some sales copy, telling readers what the book is about. Finally, a bullet list of benefits.

Testimonials are great, and can sell the book for you. Keep it to no more than three, though. And don’t forget your picture! Readers love to see who’s talking to them. Credit for your book cover’s illustrator, photographer and/or designer should also be included here.

Then you give them the “bottom line,” a line of sales copy close to the bottom that closes the sale, so to speak. Position the price in the lower left corner and the 13-digit ISBN number in the lower right hand corner, and your back cover is complete!

Inside Flaps
If your book has inside flaps to work with, you have even more room for sales copy. You can also do a short “teaser,” giving readers a small taste of what they’ll find inside – just enough to whet the appetite. Now you put your photo and bio in, and give people the chance to get to know the author.

It’s all about presentation, and your book needs more than just a pretty package. Make your book cover design as powerful as what’s inside, and you have a winning combination!

Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www./macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

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Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:02:00 +0000

October 2007 Issue
Turn Page Turners Into Buyers With Great Page Layouts

Your book’s more than a collection of words on pages. It’s your baby. But will other people find it as beautiful as you do? That depends. How do you dress it? In other words, what do your pages look like?

Layout makes all the difference. You can have the most riveting, meaningful, Nobel prize-worthy masterpiece in the bookstore, but it will be very lonely on those shelves if no one wants to buy it.

Here’s how John Q. Citizen shops for a book. He saunters into his favorite bookshop with nothing in particular in mind to purchase. He picks up a book because of its great cover (more on the baby’s “coat” next month) or because it has an interesting title. He opens it up, flips through the pages a few times, closes the book, and puts it back. Why he didn’t buy it has a lot to do with the page layout.

A book with body copy that’s too small or with narrow spaces between the lines is hard to read. And hard to read means hard to sell. That’s why you need a professional book designer. Read on for layout secrets from the typesetters of best-selling books.

Let’s talk about fonts.
Look at your book collection and pay attention to the fonts. The letters should be large enough to read without straining your eyes. They should look good on the page and be appropriate for both the reader and the book. If you look at the children’s section of a bookstore, for example, you’ll find large type that’s easier for little eyes to read. And the variety of fonts available allows you to match font to the personality or age groups of your readers.

Good choices for body copy are Garamond, Caslon, Goudy, Stone Print, New Century Schoolbook, and Janson Text 55 Roman. Now for your chapter heads and subtitles, you can go with a bold font, such as Helvetica Bold, Gill Sans Bold, Eras Bold, Univers Black, and Franklin Gothic Demi. Remember that all caps are hard to read, so don’t use them—even for your titles or table of contents.

The space between.
We used to call it spacing in typing class, but the term leading refers to the space between your typed lines. The size of the font (i.e., 10-point, 12-point, etc.) together with the space between the lines gives you your measurement. For example, 10/12 (read 10 on 12) is 10-point type with 12 point leading. The rule of thumb is that in body copy, your leading should be about 120% of the point size of the text. So for 10-point text you’d use 10/12 or for 12-point text 12/14.4. Also, if your lines are long, you should increase your leading for easier readability.

Can you justify it?
Most books nowadays are set with full-justified type. This means the words end evenly on the right side. Pages look full and have a tighter, more professional appearance. In addition, people can read them faster because the eyes aren’t constantly adjusting to different line lengths. This brings me to my next point.

How long is too long?
Reading long lines causes fatigue. You don’t want people to fall asleep reading your book, do you? On the other hand, if your lines are too short, the text looks choppy, and you break up too many words and phrases. A happy medium is to set lines at about 65 characters. Set up your column width to allow for at least a 1” to 1.25” gutter (inside edge) and .5” border for top, bottom, and outside edges.

All these techniques add appeal to potential readers, and that means more book sales. Who knows, you could end up with the next big best seller!

Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www./macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

------------------------

Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:01:00 +0000

September 2007 Issue
How To Make Your First Impression Last — Part 2

In Part 1 of my “First Impression Last” story, I told you about my quest to find a contractor to landscape my backyard . . . and the trouble I had figuring out who’s who with the generic batch of business cards I brought home from the local home show! I finally did get in touch with the right person for the job, but it was almost like finding a needle in a haystack. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out what your specialty or niche is.

I was at a Chamber of Commerce mixer a few weeks ago, which can be a great place to network for small business owners. And for someone who specializes in marketing (i.e. me), it’s also fun to take a gander at business cards, brochures, and other promotional materials to see what’s going on out there. It’s amazing how many people are out there to network, but they hand you a business card that leaves you saying, “OK, so, what is it that you do?”

Take Angela, for example. She owns a candle shop. She has candles that look like cakes, candles that smell like your mom’s apple pie, and even some with therapeutic aromatherapy. I learned all this from talking to her at the mixer. Which is the only way I would have learned it, because her card left a little to be desired. It had the name of her shop and her name, title, address and phone number. Boring! A good logo coupled with a clever tag line, a font and color scheme that complements the soothing mood that burning candles create, and she would have a card that not only gives people the pertinent information, but also the feeling of being relaxed. She wouldn’t have to talk so much, because her card would do the work for her!

Your business card is your introduction, so make it a good one! Here are 7 more topnotch tips to keep your card out of the wastebasket and into the rolodex! (The first 7 are in Part 1, the August issue)

The First Top 7 Tips:

1) Don’t get too crazy with the fonts. Make it appropriate for your business, without the trendy or overly embellished versions that are available out there.

2) Keep a tight rein on your text. Think small and compact, and your text will have a much more professional look.

3) Avoid using all capital letters, because THEY ARE HARD TO READ. It looks unprofessional, not to mention it implies that you are shouting at the reader. You don’t want to scare anyone off, do you?

4) Use a grid. It helps you to align texts and objects to each other in a way that you just can’t do with the naked eye.

5) Any illustrations that you use should be bold, not delicate. When you try to print all that detail at the small size of a card, it just looks muddy and you lose the look you were going for.

6) I said bold, not amateur. Illustrations from clip-art are usually out-dated and campy. Find a good quality resource for your illustrations, and stay away from the I-did-it-myself look.

7) Don’t forget the back! That’s wasted real estate back there. Why not put a special offer, photo or something else enticing to encourage people to call. Be creative! The following are the 3 business cards I’ve designed for Alpaca ranchers. Notice how I used the front and back sides of the card.

OK, now you are all set to let your little business card do big things for your business! If it’s the first impression people get about you, you want to make sure it’s a memorable one. Your success depends on it!

Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www./macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

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Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 23:44:00 +0000

August 2007 Issue
How To Make Your First Impression Last — Part 1

Let me tell you about the last home show I went to. It was your typical home show with lots of booths, pretty displays, loads of freebies. But I wasn’t interested in all that. I was on a mission. I needed a landscaping contractor to take my dismal, ordinary backyard and turn it into Fantasy Island. Not too much to ask, right?

I was prepared to spend all day, if necessary, talking with every last landscaping contractor there in order to find someone to make my dream come true. So I grabbed a tall mocha on the way in, took a plastic goodie bag from the entry table, and set off to find me a contractor.

Not as easy as it sounds. Everyone seemed to have a great deal going, and the displays were all so gorgeous, and pretty soon all the people I met seemed to blend together! On the upside, I did collect a lot of pretty brochures to put in my bag, not to mention some nifty water bottles and key chains.

When I got home later that evening, I slipped on some comfy clothes, sat down with a cup of hot tea, and started sorting through all the business cards I’d collected. But, I had so many cards it was hard to remember who was who! Which one was the guy that specialized in outdoor kitchens? And the one that did those waterfall scenes, which one was that? Ahh!

I don’t remember what every one said. I just remember what I liked. But it was hard to tell anyone apart from this stack of cards! Is there a way to set yourself apart from the crowd with just your business card?

Absolutely! A business card, while small in size, is your big weapon. Here are 7 topnotch tips to keep your card out of the wastebasket and into the rolodex! (I’ll give you my other 7 in my next ezine)

The First Top 7 Tips:

1) Choose a cover stock with some meat on it! Ever pick up a card that is just wimpy? You know what I mean, the kind that bends right in your hand, and by the time you get back to the office it’s a crumpled mess. It’s cheap paper, and shows other people that you might be cheap in your business practices, too. Go see your printer, get a free swatch book, and feel the difference for yourself. This is your first impression, so make it a strong one!

2) Create a focal point — something that really stands out — to draw the reader’s eye. Maybe something in a contrasting color, or a unique graphic. Use your imagination.

3) Your logo should be clear and strong, and should still look great when it’s reduced down to fit on a card. Think about that when you’re designing your logo, because it should be the same on every print item that you put out.

4) Remember, in marketing less is more. Don’t make your reader work by having a lot of text to read. Use white space to balance the layout, and just give enough information so they know what your specialty is.

5) Use a highlight color sparingly, and only on the one main message you want to get across. Too much, and it loses its effectiveness.

6) Also, on the highlight color — make sure the color fits with the type of business you have. I can’t tell you how many of those landscaping cards used red or brown, when green would have been perfect!

7) You should have no more than two type fonts on your cards, which also include their “families” — bold, italics, and bold italics.

OK, now you are all set to let your little business card do big things for your business! If it’s the first impression people get about you, you want to make sure it’s a memorable one. Your success depends on it!

Here's an example of an amateurish business card design

This well-designed, conventional 2-color card uses one spot color plus black ink.

This well-designed card uses one spot color and black ink with a grayscale photo.

This dynamic full-color card uses 4-color process inks. The photo is cut out of its background and bleeds off the bottom of the card for maximum impact.

Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www./macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

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Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Mon, 28 May 2007 20:47:00 +0000

June 2007 Issue
One-sheet Says It All

They’re the workhorses of any marketing program. They hit the streets for you, and they’ve got muscle. Everything you want someone to know about your expertise and services — all in one place. So if you don’t have one . . . you’ve got to get one!

Picture this. You take the time to get involved in various networking groups — or maybe you do some cold calling — or maybe you happen to meet someone who may have a genuine need for a person just like you. So now what? Well, there’s a simple and effective way to share your expertise. And it’s called a one-sheet.

Here are seven questions that a typical decision-maker would ask you in person at a first meeting — so get ready to answer:

• How would you describe your area of expertise?
• Who are your presentations designed for, or what type of people
do you work with?
• If we hire you, what are the benefits for the leaders of the organization? For the participants in the ranks? For organizational progress?
• What have you done that makes you such an expert?
• Which groups have you worked with before?
• What did participants think of you?
• How can we reach you for more information?

Now that you know what questions they will ask, there’s a clever formula to including all of these elements in your one-sheet. You’ll cover all the bases if you include the following points:

• The topics/programs you address
• Who you target audience is
• Benefits (put them right in the headlines)
• Your biography
• A client list
• Testimonials
• Contact information (list it all — phone, fax, email, website)

And don’t forget the secret ingredient — YOU. Even if you have all of these other elements in place, the icing on the cake will be your own personality.

Let me give you an example. My client, Doug Butler, is a speaker whose message is “Cowboy Wisdom”. I’ve built his one-sheet around the western cowboy theme, and it’s now part of his brand. We included lots of cowboy graphics, an action shot of him with a lasso, and a portrait shot of him wearing a cowboy hat with his guitar. His one-sheet reflects his personality, and it’s what participants want from him.

Here's the front of his one-sheet.

Here's the back of his one-sheet.

You’ll add credibility if you can include logos to show your affiliation with any industry or professional organizations that will be recognized by your target market. Be sure to include your own logo along with a clever tag line. Doug uses this tag line: “Forge a firm foundation with Doug’s tried-and-true Cowboy Code.”

But these techniques don’t stop with the one-sheet. You can carry them over to all your other marketing materials! With these must-have elements in your one-sheet, you can turn your prospects into sales, and watch your revenue grow!

Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www./macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

------------------------

Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Saunders) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 02:47:00 +0000

May 2007 Issue
Advertising and Color

What’s the quickest way to create mood without saying a word? Color! Before they read your marketing piece, they see it – and their feeling about your business begins. So it’s a good idea to take some time to find out what colors mean – and how they can help sell for you. When you learn the psychology of colors you will be able to add a whole new layer to your marketing materials. Here’s how using certain colors will help you attract a specific target market and evoke the desired response:

The color scheme you choose for your ad, flyer or business cards can help or hurt the overall tone of the piece. For instance, if you own a gift shop, you would want to work with a lot of yellows, including coral, orange, amber and gold. Why? Because yellow symbolizes joy. It exudes energy and happiness, and is associated with being welcoming and homey.

Red, which includes mauve, magenta, crimson, and scarlet, is the color of power, romance, and vitality. It’s an eye catcher, and makes us sit up and take notice. That’s why it’s so often used in the financial arena when the numbers are going in the wrong direction. Red can also have a physical effect, even raising blood pressure! Use red in your ad when you want people to take action.

If, on the other hand, you need a very friendly, non-threatening campaign, green is your color. Green and its shades, including lime, leaf green, sea green, emerald, teal and sage, symbolize life and nature. It’s good for us, and your reader will receive that impression about what you are selling as well. In contrast to red, in the business world, green symbolizes growth and prosperity.

When you need a more serious, classic look that conveys law and order, dependability, and trustworthiness, go for the blue and purple palette. This includes sky blue, ultramarine, violet, purple and azure. These colors work great in certain markets, specifically for older, more mature audiences. It’s common in financial institutions, hospitals, and the legal and medical professions.

I designed this ad for a landscaping company using the vibrant hues of lush, healthy green, lavender, and fuschia foliage.

So what kind of business do you have? Do you sell a product or a service? Think about your target market, and try to determine what emotion will appeal to them the most. Now try to match that with one of the above color palettes when you are designing your ad. With the right colors, your marketing piece is sure to be read.

Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Whether you outsource your promotional pieces or are a do-it-yourselfer, Karen takes the mystery out of marketing. Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost you money by signing up for her FREE e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients, click here: www./macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php. You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or karen@macgraphics.net

------------------------

Visit my website to see portfolio samples of book covers, brochures, logos, ads and speaker one-sheet designs: www.MacGraphics.net

If you enjoyed reading my ezine and posts, you will LOVE my ebook, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! This organized guidebook has short chapters, over 200 hyperlinks and full-color graphic examples. Hundreds of business owners have used my simple do-it-yourself reference guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! To learn how you can get this indispensable book, click here: www.BuyAppealMarketing.com

But wait, there’s more . . .

To sign up for FREE audio classes, articles or an eCourse on design and marketing tips click here:www.macgraphics.net

P.S. See that envelope icon below this posting? If you click on the envelope you can email this posting to a friend.